


Between Clan Borders

by Germanhowl



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: ALL Cats are original!, F/F, F/M, I will put warning for mention of rape, OCs! OCs EVERYWHERE
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-29 06:24:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8478694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Germanhowl/pseuds/Germanhowl
Summary: All the clans have been at peace for many moons after retreating to the lake territory. However, a new threat starts to come into view from all sides and even from within the clans. Can two warriors from different clans finally bring peace throughout the lake?





	1. Meeting the Leopard

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back from the grave! God it's been to long and to be honest... I didn't think I would be posting a Warrior fanfic here (even though those where the first fanfics I ever did). But with the recent news from the Hunters about giving the rights for a Warrior Cats movie (ITS BEEN YEARS!!) I thought it was appropriate. I hope you enjoy this! I plan not to give away much in this story. I want to see if you brilliant readers can figure it out in the comments :3

"You stupid kit!" The queen spat at the poor kit that had stumbled into her nest, "Watch where you’re playing!"

"S-Sorry Cloverslip...." The kit mewed quietly, hurrying out of the heavily pregnant queen's nest.

"Leopardkit." A pale yellow she-cat purred from outside the nursery den, causing the kit to turn her head, "Why don't you come outside and play with me? Let Cloverslip get her rest."

"Okay Goldenglow." Leopardkit purred, racing out of the den to meet her grandmother. Her charcoal spots, white underbelly and paws contrasted against her own pale yellow coat in the sunlight, "When do you think Willowwhisper's coming back?"

Goldenglow looked down at her paws and thought for a moment before answering the kit.

"I don't know... but I do know that she'll be back soon." She answered, still trying to figure out for herself why her daughter left the camp when Leopardkit was a half-moon old.

"She's been gone for a long time..." Leopardkit muttered, her tail and ears drooping down to a sorrowful expression.

"I know but... I know that she's be proud of you. You're going to be an apprentice soon." Goldenglow whispered as she curling her tail around the kit and gave her head a comforting lick.

"I hope I get Raventail as my mentor. He always brings me fresh kill." Leopardkit purred, bouncing in place before a tail came and swept her feet out from under her.

"Watch it half-clan." A bulky, ginger tabby tom hissed as he walked passed.

"Come back and say that to my face Foxpaw!" Leopardkit hissed, pulling herself from the ground as her ears flattened to her skull.

It was truly a mystery as to who her father really was. Willowwhisper wasn't that close to any of the other toms in the camp. So it was a surprise when Leopardkit was born at all. It was even more of a surprise when Willowwhisper left the camp, abandoning her kit a half moon later. Leopardkit was convinced she went out in search of her father but now she was getting worried.

"Don't worry about it Leopardkit." Goldenglow whispered, "You'll show him soon enough when you become an apprentice."

"Okay Goldenglow. I promise." She mewed in response, her tail twitching a bit in an anticipation. She couldn't wait to become an apprentice.

*******

"Leopardpaw! Leopardpaw!" The clan chanted the new apprentice's name in the clearing.

Leopardpaw puffed out her chest as pride swelled up within her. Her bright green eyes glanced over at her mentor, Oakstreak. She wasn't disappointed in Spottedstar's choice, Oakstreak was a great and loyal warrior.

Her tail swayed happily as she went to touch noses with her grandmother for a brief moment.

"Leopardpaw. We're going out on a hunting patrol." Oakstreak called over his shoulder, "Let’s see what you got."

Leopardpaw jumped in place, startled by her mentor suddenly beckoning her to start her training so fast after becoming an apprentice. She leapt towards the dark brown tom with a small grin.

She bounded out of camp only to skid to a halt when she saw who she was on hunting patrol with. _Ugh. Foxpaw!_ She thought in plain disgust when she saw the ginger apprentice strutting about with his mentor, Fernfoot. The patrol set off once Raventail had joined them, traveling off into the thicket. It wasn’t long before the mouth-watery scent of a squirrel crossed the new apprentice’s path.        

“Do you know how to do a hunting crouch?” Oakstreak asked as his tail flicked against Leopardpaw’s ear.

The young ‘paw’ shook her head in response. She had practiced her pouncing on a few misfortunate leaves outside the nursery but besides that she hadn’t used it to catch a living creature.

“Drop into a crouch and take all your weight into your haunches…” Oakstreak instructed with a small demonstration of his own with his tail barely grazing the forest floor.

Lepardpaw dropped to the ground to mimic her mentor with the squirrel in her sights. Her tail brushed up against some leaves, making a slight stir that made her presences know to the squirrel. She sprung off her back legs, trying to catch the prey before it darted off but was unsuccessful. The squirrel scrambled out of her claws as she landed on the forest floor with a light thud.

Her green eyes narrowed when she heard Foxpaw let out murrow of amusement at her misfortunate. She brought herself back to her paws and looked down, ashamed to have embarrassed herself in front of her mentor.

“It’s okay. Not everyone gets it on their first try.” Raventail said, cuffing Foxpaw’s ear with his tail to silence him, “Why don’t we continue looking. Don’t mind Foxpaw.”

Leopardpaw’s ears pricked up with the sudden encouragement the clan deputy had given her. She nodded and started to scent the air for more prey that was lurking about. Foxpaw had already caught a mouse in the time it took for her to find a vole. She dropped into a hunting crouch, being mindful of her tail this time and crept up on the small creature. She pounced and caught the vole, giving it a swift bite to the neck until it went limp in her jaws.

“Great job, Leopardpaw.” Oakstreak’s meow was muffled from the feathers of a plump sparrow in his jaws.

Leopardpaw’s heart swirled the praise her mentor gave her. Her tail twitched when she caught scent of another squirrel. She ran off, chasing after the scent with the vole still dangling in her mouth.

“Leopardpaw, wait!” Raventail called out but it was too late.

Leopardpaw stumbled out of the forest and straight into a clearing full of unfamiliar scents. She froze when she was approached by four cats with sleek fur and skinny, nimble bodies.

“Why are you crossing Windclan’s boarders?” A mottled grey tom hissed at the apprentice, demanding an answer.

Leopardpaw’s legs trembled from under her before Raventail and Oakstreak appeared to her aid.

“Badgerflank she’s just an apprentice. She didn’t know.” Raventail spoke in an attempt to calm the grey tom down.

“Maybe you sure teach your apprentices to respect boarders first?” Another tom, a pale yellow tabby spoke up with his lips drawn back in a snarl.

“Relax Sandpaw. You’re acting like a grouchy elder.”

Leopardpaw blinked when she saw another cat appear from a tall brush. The she-cat was grey tabby with a light silver coat and was no smaller than she was. Her blue eyes glanced at the pale tom and cuffed the back of his white ear with her long tail.

“Wolfpaw’s right.” Badgerflank said, glaring at Sandpaw, “We don’t want a fight over a misunderstanding.”

Sandpaw scratched at the earth with unsheathed claws as if he was itching for a fight.

“But they’re disrespecting our boundaries!” Sandpaw retorted, his tail twitched in irritation, “Owlstar should hear about this right?” 

“And she will but this isn’t worth any bloodshed.” Another pale brown she-cat replied calmly, placing a white tipped tail over the apprentice’s flank.

“This won’t happen again Doerunner. I swear.” Oakstreak said, “Come on Leopardpaw. Let’s head back to Foxpaw and Fernfoot.”

Leopardpaw nodded, picking up her vole to follow her mentor and Raventail. She looked back to see that the Windclan cats had already vanished.

“I’m sorry Oakstreak.”

“It’s okay. You should’ve been told about the clan boarders before we started.” Oakstreak replied.

“I have an idea...” Raventail thought out loud before looking back at the new apprentice, “Leopardpaw. If you’re curious about the other Clans I’ll ask Spottedstar if you can attend the next gathering."

“Really?” Leopardpaw asked, her ears pricking back up.

“That’s not fair!”

Leopardpaw froze when Foxpaw suddenly burst through a bush and landed in front of the three cats.

“How come _she_ gets to go?” Foxpaw asked, his ears flattening down to his skull as his tail twitched in annoyance, “Just because she stumbled onto the rabbit-chasers’ territory.”

“Perhaps your apprentice needs to check himself, Fernfoot.” Raventail said, glancing at the dark grey she-cat.

“Don’t worry. He’ll be checking the elders for ticks when we arrive back at camp.” Fernfoot replied before she picked up a large mouse and vole in her jaws, “Let’s head back to camp.”

The five cats started to make their way back to camp and was just a few tail-lengths from the entrance when Leopardpaw had a familiar scent wash over her. She bounded off and burst through the entrance. Her green eyes widened when she saw the familiar pale brown coat, light tan, bushy tail, and blue eyes. She dropped her vole in shock.

“Willowwhisper!” She called out, leaping over to greet her mother.

“Leopardpaw wait a moment.” Goldenglow said, placing her tail in front of the excited apprentice.

The she-cat was confused as to why couldn’t see her mother before she saw a dark brown spotted tabby kit in her paws. She blinked in confusion. _Did Willowwhisper find a kit on her way back home?_

“Why can’t I see her Goldenglow?” Leopardpaw whispered to her grandmother.

“It’s best to have Williowwhisper to explain for herself to the clan first.”

The apprentice nodded before Spottedstar lept up on the Highledge to address the clan on the new situation.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting." Spottedstar yowled from his spot as the clan started to gather to listen to their leader’s word, “Willowwhisper… Explain yourself.”

Leopardpaw’s eyes widened as she saw that all eyes were on her mother.

“Leopardpaw and Robinkit’s father wish to remain anonymous.” Willowwhisper started as a few cats started to whisper to each other about the situation, “The reason why I left was because I believed the Clan wouldn’t want a queen having another kit shortly after her kit became an apprentice.”

“That’s a mouse-brain reason! That doesn’t give you a right to leave your daughter behind.” Cloverslip hissed from the entrance to the nursery, “And if that was the case why are you coming back?”

Spottedstar waved his tail for silence as the murmured became louder.

“We are glad to have a fellow clan member back; however, this doesn’t clear everything up.” He said, “Please explain more Willowwhisper.”

“I realized what I was complete mouse-brained which is why I’m asking for acceptances back into Thunderclan… This is my home.” She said with her ears and tail drooping in a sorrowful expression.

“We’ll discuss this more at a later time. Goldenglow… escort her back to the nursery.” Spottedstar spoke, turning to the elderly warrior just before he hopped from the Highledge.

Leopardpaw sat there even more confused than before. That kit was her little brother and her father was somewhere close by but refused to reveal himself. She looked around, noticing how some of the cats were looking at her weirdly.

“I’m glad that Willowwhisper is back where she belongs.” Oakstreak said, placing the tip of his tail on his apprentice’s shoulder. 

Leopardpaw was glad that her mother was back where she belonged but it left her with more questions than answers. Just who was her father?


	2. The Gathering

The full moon hung in the clear night sky. It had been almost a full moon since Leopardpaw had started her training to become a Thunderclan warrior. She bounced in place, excited as she was granted permission to attend the Gathering. 

“Someone’s excited for tonight.” Raventail said, touching his tail tip on the apprentice’s flank, “Just remember you’re representing Thunderclan tonight.” 

Leopardpaw nodded as her tail twitched in excitement. She waited as Goldenglow, Fernfoot, and few other cats gathered at the entrance of camp waiting for Spottedstar to take the lead.

“Let’s head off.” Spottedstar said as he leaped down from the Highledge. 

“Don’t be nervous.” A white she-cat whispered to Leopardpaw as they walked through the forest, “There’s going to be a lot of other cats from different clans.” 

“What are they like, Lightfoot?” Leopardpaw asked, her green eyes shining with curiosity. 

“You’ll have to find out for yourself now won’t you.” Lightfoot replied with a purr. 

Leopardpaw was surprised when a sudden wave of different scents washed over her all at once. Different cats that she wasn’t familiar. It wasn’t long before long, shadows started to rustle the thickets as they crossed into WindClan territory, remembering her encounter with the other Clan. 

“Owlstar. Nice to see you again.” Spottedstar meowed when the Windclan cats made their appearance. 

Leopardpaw recognized a few of the cats in the group. Badgerflank was there along with his cranky apprentice, Sandpaw, who seemed displeased upon seeing her. She also spotted the grey tabby she-cat from before as well. 

“Hey Goldenglow… Who’s that?” Leopardpaw asked as she slipped closer to her grandmother.

Goldenglow flicked her ear as her head tilted to the side. She gave a quick glance at the silver she-cat before turned back. “I think that’s Smokelight and Sagedawn’s daughter… I wonder why they aren’t here… They usually are. Smokelight at least. He was the deputy before Badgerflank took over.”

“What happened to him?” Leopardpaw whispered.

“He retired to the elder’s den.” Goldenglow replied, “Why don’t you talk to her?”

“I don’t know… Doesn’t the Warrior Code forbid that?” 

“The Warrior Code says that you can have friendships with cats from different clans but your loyalty must stay with your clan.” 

Leopardpaw nodded and glanced back at the silver tabby she-cat as they made the way over to the Island. The young cat looked around, taking it all in as different scents swirled around her. She looked up at the Giant Oak and watched Spottedstar and Owlstar join the other two leaders. 

She stuck her tongue out when she smelt the fishy scent of Riverclan and the swampy smell of Shadowclan as the cats started to poor in. Leopardpaw looked around, spotting her grandmother with some other clan elders, the clan deputies right below the Oak, and the medicine cats residing at the back with the Queens. She didn’t really know what to do with all the unfamiliar cats around before she spotted the silver Windclan she-cat again. She decided to finally muster up the courage to go talk to her.

“Hey I’m…”

Leopardpaw was cut off as Sandpaw dove in front of the two.

“Well if it isn’t the Thunderclan run away.” Sandpaw said with a small hiss, “I hope you’ve learned your lesson.”

Leopardpaw took a few paces back and fidgeted a bit. She dug her unsheathed claws into the earth, knowing this was a night of peace between the clans. 

“Knock it off, Sandpaw.” The she-cat hissed at her clanmate, “I’m capable of defending and speaking for myself. It’s not like you’re my mate or anything. Why don’t you go and bother Eaglespots or Birchstalk?”

Sandpaw snorted, flicked his tail, and left to go sit with two apprentices from Shadowclan.

“Sorry about Sandpaw… He’s a real pain in the tail.” She said, “I’m Wolfpaw. It’s nice to finally meet you.” 

“I’m Leopardpaw… I’m sorry for trespassing that day.” 

“No worries. Sandpaw likes to act like a Shadowclan cat when he’s not. I’m sorry if he gave you any trouble.” 

Leopardpaw shook and tilted her head, meeting Wolfpaw’s blue eyes. She opened her mouth to speak just before Spottedstar started the Gathering. 

“If we are all here and ready… Let’s start the Gathering.” He said, speaking from his branch, “Thunderclan is doing well. We have plenty of prey to support our growing clan. We have two new apprentices: Foxpaw and Leopardpaw. Robinkit has been born to Willowwhisper as well. Rushstar?”

Spottedstar stepped back as a white tom with pale blue eyes and silver paws stepped up.

“Riverclan is doing well also. We have experienced some troubles with fishing due to the lack of fish. We have three new apprentices: Rainpaw, Oceanpaw, and Newtpaw.” The tom stepped back and Leopardpaw recognized the Windclan as she stepped up.

“Hunting on the moors is good for Windclan. We have Swiftkit born to Sagedawn. We also have two new apprentices as well: Wolfpaw and Sandpaw. However, we are sad to announce that Smokelight has passed. May he walk with Starclan now.”

Leopardpaw blinked when she saw how Woldpaw’s eyes clouded with a hint of grief. She touched Wolfpaw’s shoulder with the tip of her tail as a sign of comfort. Wolfpaw smiled at the gesture. 

There was a small pause for a moment before Owlstar glanced over at a ginger tabby she-cat, “Snakestar? Anything from Shadowclan?”

The she-cat simply shook her head. “No. Nothing at all. Shadowclan! We’re leaving. This gathering is over.”

This confused the rest of the clans when the Shadowclan cats left all of a sudden. The leaders sat there in a state of shock, even though it was Shadowclan who always seemed to start drama. 

“It appears the Gathering is over. Riverclan... Let’s return to camp.” Rushstar said before leaping off the Giant Oak with his clan following close behind.

Leopardpaw was disappointed when the Gathering was over so soon, wanting to talk to Wolfpaw more. 

“Hey… We can talk on the way back.” Wolfpaw said, waving her tail as Windclan and Thunderclan started to take their leave. 

Leopardpaw was happy at the thought. She wanted to talked to continue talking with her. They talked the whole way back with Leopardpaw explaining what had happened with her mother and the mysterious of her father’s whereabouts. 

“Well I’m sure you’ll find him eventually. You better show that Foxpaw who’s boss.” Wolfpaw said with a small smirk.

“And you better show Sandpaw who’s boss too.” Leopardpaw said, as the clans started to part ways for the night, “I hope to see you again Wolfpaw.”

“You too Leopardpaw.” Wolfpaw called back with a small flick of her tail as she followed her clanmates. 

“Someone’s warming up to the Thunderclan mouse-brain.” Sandpaw hissed in her ear as he crept up beside her.

Wolfpaw flicked her tail across his ear and glared at him. “For Starclan’s sake Sandpaw. I can see whoever I want and be friends with whoever I want.” She hissed.

“You have to be loyal to your clan and I’m just looking out for you.” The pale yellow tabby said, “Did you forget what happened to your father?”

Wolfpaw paused and tried her best to keep her claws sheathed. She turned to Sandpaw and drew her lips back in a snarl. 

“He died from a sneaky Shadowclan warrior. Not Thunderclan!” She hissed as her fur stood on end. “Don’t you dare talk about my father like that again!”

“Doesn’t matter.” Sandpaw said, “I’ll become leader one day and make Windclan a clan not to be reckoned with.”

“You’re acting like a Shadowclan cat.” Wolfpaw said, “And besides… Do you think Owlstar or Badgerflank would let you be their deputy or even let you train an apprentice with the way you’ve been acting.”

Sandpaw snorted and shoved his way past Wolfpaw once they finally returned to open camp. 

“Don’t worry, Wolfpaw.” 

The sudden voice caused the silver she-cat to freeze in place before she looked up, seeing her mentor, Stonefrost.

“Sandpaw will be whipped into shape.” The light grey and white said, “I promise to talk to Doerunner about it.”

Wolfpaw nodded and looked up at the sky as the sun started to peak out from beyond the moors. She went over to the fresh-kill pile and picked out a plump rabbit to drag to the nursery. She slipped inside and placed the rabbit next to Sagedawn’s nest before she crept back outside. 

“Go get some rest Sandpaw.” Owlstar called, “You too Wolfpaw.” 

Wolfpaw did what her leader asked her and slipped inside the apprentice’s den where Fawnpaw and Skypaw were just waking up to go on hunting patrol. 

They should be getting their warrior names soon. Wolfpaw thought as she curled up in her nest and started to slowly drift off. 

“Hey Wolfpaw… Wolfpaw wake up.” 

The apprentice jolted up when a paw poked her shoulder. She blinked her eyes clear of sleep when she noticed that it was Redvine, a redish, black tortoiseshell warrior. 

“What it is?” She asked, twitching her tail as she raised her head.

“We’re going to go practice fighting. Stonefrost wants you to join us.” 

Wolfpaw nodded and stood up, shaking some moss and dry grass from her pelt. She slipped out of the den after Redvine where Stonefrost, Skypaw, Doerunner, and Sandpaw were waiting for them. 

They all traveled out to the training hallow, which wasn’t that far from camp to practice.

The three apprentices watched as their mentors demonstrated some basic moves.   
“Keep your claws sheathed for this. We don’t want anyone getting sent to Stumpywind’s den.” Stonefrost said, “Wolfpaw… You’re up against Skypaw first.”

Wolfpaw squared the grey-white apprentice up. She crouched, ready to strike before he started to charge. Wolfpaw had little to no time to react with how fast Skypaw was, landing a paw hard on her head. She was dazed for a minute before she used her small body and speed to slip underneath him, pushing the bigger tom off his feet. Skypaw reacted fast and raked at her belly with his paws before pinning her to the ground.

“That’s enough.” Redvine called out, “Wolfpaw… That was excellent for your first try. Sandpaw… You’re up.”

Wolfpaw stepped off to the side next to her mentor as she watched Sandpaw go up against the other apprentice. She saw how determined and powerful Sandpaw was trying to be against the older apprentice. Wolfpaw couldn’t stand it anymore and eventually stepped in between them, swatting Sandpaw and kicking Skypaw away. 

“That’s enough Sandpaw. You’ve proved your worth.” Wolfpaw said, glaring at him.

“I agree. That’s enough for right now.” Doerunner said once the three apprentices calmed down. 

Wolfpaw sat down and glared at Sandpaw. Sandpaw let out a small smirk as he looked back at her, casually grooming himself plotting to himself.


	3. Border Lines

“Leopardpaw! Leopardpaw! Can you teach me how to hunt a vole?” Robinkit asked as he ran up to his older sister. 

Leopardpaw smirked and looked over at Willowwhisper, who was currently talking with Goldenglow.

“I teach you how to do a proper hunting crouch.” She whispered, showing her brother a hunting crouch. 

She hoped that she was the one to train her brother when he became an apprentice. She still wondered about Wolfpaw after a moon after they met and wanted to see her again soon, wanting to hear about her own training and such. 

She watched as her brother mimicked her movements. She flicked her tail a bit and pricked her ears up when Oakstreak called to her. She glanced at her brother before trotting over to her mentor.

“We’re going on border patrol.” Oakstreak said looking back to the rest of the patrol. 

Leopardpaw was happy to see Raventail in the same patrol as her again along with Cinderskip, Fernfoot, and of course, Foxpaw. She looked at Raventail curiously, seeing how he watched Robinkit with such interest. She decided to brush it off for the time being and followed after her mentor when the patrol started. 

“I should be getting my warrior name soon!” Foxpaw said, deciding to rub it in Leopardpaw’s face as he raised his long, fluffy tail high in the air, “I want it to be something cunning and brave… Like Foxfang or Foxwatcher.” 

How about Foxsnout? It goes good with your big muzzle. Leopardpaw thought to herself as her tail twitched in annoyance. 

“You’ll get whatever name Spottedstar thinks is worthy of you.” Raventail said, glancing over at Leopardpaw as if he had said what she was thinking of.

Leopardpaw paused for a moment and sniffed the air. She recognized the swampy scent of Shadowclan as they started to get closer to the border dividing the two clans. 

“Shadowclan’s been over the border.” She said.

Oakstreak and the rest of the senior warriors looked to each other and nodded in agreement. 

“We’ll report this to Spottedstar when we return back to camp.” Raventail said, “Great job Leopardpaw.” 

Leopardpaw lifted her head in pride at the praise she had received. 

“Shouldn’t we be reporting it right now?” Foxpaw asked, his claws digging into the ground.

“I’ll head back and report it to Spottedstar.” Cinderskip said before the black tabby she-cat darted back to camp.

“With that being done… Let’s continue. Maybe we can get a better idea of what Shadowclan’s doing.” Fernfoot said, taking the lead.

Leopardpaw and the other cats followed close behind her, crouching through the thicket as they spotted a couple of Shadowclan cats lingering on their side of the border. She froze and dug her unsheathed claws into the dirt, terrified of being caught. 

She could barely make out what the cats were saying before she recognized the cats as the same ones Sandpaw was talking to during the Gathering. She tilted her head to the side with her ears perked, trying to figure out just what they were discussing. She froze when Raventail placed his tail on her shoulder, telling her that they should head back to camp.

“Why couldn’t we go after them?” Foxpaw whined once they were finally out of earshot, “They’re obviously up to something.” 

“That’s up to Spottedstar to decide.” Leopardpaw retorted, getting sick of the ginger tom’s whinnying.

“Leopardpaw’s right.” Oakstreak said, “We don’t want to start a fight if it isn’t necessary.” 

The patrol arrived back from their duties as Spottedstar waited for them. It was obvious he had called a clan meeting to discuss the issue.

“Raventail. Explain.” Spottedstar ordered his deputy as the dark grey tabby joined him on the Highledge. 

“We found a few Shadowclan cats lingering around the Thunderclan border. They were discussing something but they were talking too low to make out.” Raventail explained as his tail twitched.

“We will increase our patrols around all clan borders. If you do encounter any suspicious cats lingering around the borders again… Confront them but keep your claws sheathed unless they attack.” Spottedstar ordered.

All the cats yowled in agreement, especially Foxpaw who sounded a bit too excited for this new rule. 

Leopardpaw’s thoughts went straight to the Windclan border and Wolfpaw. She wondered if one day she would encounter her and had to fight her. Her heartstring started to tug a bit at the thought. She didn’t like the idea of hurting her.

“Go get some fresh-kill Leopardpaw. You did great tracking those Shadowclan cats.” Raventail said as he hopped from the Highledge. 

“Leopardpaw… You serviced your clan well today.” Spottedstar called to the apprentice, which left her in a small state of shock over the fact that her leader noticed her.

She did want Raventail asked and grabbed a plump mouse from the fresh-kill pile. She found a small bush to escape the sun’s heat as he lied down to enjoy her meal.

“Leopardpaw! What’s it like outside the camp?” Robinkit asked, running up to greet her sister.

Leopardpaw smiled and pushed her half-finished mouse towards the growing kit as he snuggled against her.

“It’s really big. There’s lots of forests… and then there’s the moors. That’s Windclan’s territory…” Leopardpaw then found herself rambling on about the Gathering and the other clans, which sparked Robinkit’s interest. 

“Will you show me when I become an apprentice?” Robinkit asked, his amber eyes widened. 

“Maybe I’ll be the one to teach you.” Leopardpaw added, which made Robinkit bounce in excitement. 

“Are you going to the Gathering tonight?” Robinkit asked.

Leopardpaw shook her head sadly. She wanted to go, wondering if Wolfpaw was going so she could see her again. She thought hard for second, drowning Robinkit’s rambling out. 

Tonight is peace between the clans. I wonder if I could go up to the border between our clans and meet there. She thought. I don’t see why not. It’s not breaking the Code. 

It was then that she decided what she planned to do. 

*******

Wolfpaw watched her sister from outside the nursery. She was afraid of approaching her mother ever since her father’s untimely death. Her mother had cut herself off from most the clan and some cats even questioned if she would be able to return to her warrior duties. 

She let out a small purr of amusement when she saw Swiftkit bat at a moss ball, calling it a Shadowclan warrior. She knew it still hurt but was glad that he had died like a true warrior would instead of suffering from a disease like most elders did. 

Then Wolfpaw started thinking about Leopardpaw and how she didn’t even know her father. She felt a bit guilty over the fact but at the same time… She longed to hear from her again. She wondered if she would be attending the Gathering and how she would get along with the other cats if she was. 

Maybe I should take a walk tonight… Wolfpaw thought. Stumpywind did suggest that. Didn’t he? 

She waited until the cats going to the Gathering left. She slipped out of the apprentices’ den, being very careful as not to disturb Sandpaw or any other cat before disappearing out of camp. She looked around the moorlands, listening around as the wind brushed against the grass. Her legs carried her around the open plain while the full moon and stars hung in the sky. 

She came to an abrupted halt when a scent crossed her path. It was a somewhat familiar scent of a Thunderclan cat. She crouched beneath the thicket with her claws unsheathed just in case. She stalked up to where the scent was coming from before she realized she was at the Thunderclan border. She tilted her head to the side when she finally saw the cat who the scent belonged to.


	4. Meeting at the Border

“Leopardpaw? Is that you?” Wolfpaw asked.

Leopardpaw blinked in surprised with her ears perking up. She looked around, her green eyes had a slight bit of confusion in them. 

“Is that you Wolfpaw?” 

This caused Wolfpaw to relax her shoulders as she rose from her hiding place. She flicked her ear as her sight focused on the other apprentice. 

“What are you doing here?” She asked, looking straight into Leopardpaw’s emerald eyes. 

“I wanted to take a walk on my own…” Leopardpaw said, sitting down. I also wanted to see you again. 

“I can understand that… That what I was doing.” Wolfpaw said, “Of course I can only do it when that mouse-brain Sandpaw is asleep.”

Leopardpaw let a small purr of amusement escape her. 

“So how’s training going for you? Good I hope.” She asked, looking the tabby she-cat over. She looked almost as pale blue as the moon did.

“Yeah but nothing exciting… I can’t wait to be an actual warrior.” Wolfpaw said, her tail twitching with anticipation before her expression sulked down, “I hope I can train my sister or at least watch over her.”   
“But…?” Leopardpaw asked, leaning over to touch her tail against Wolfpaw’s shoulder. 

“My mother… She’s torn up. She might retire to the elder’s den at this point.” The Windclan she-cat said, meeting Leopardpaw’s eyes, “I just feel like I’m not going to be a great warrior… I can’t even help my mother.”

“Well… I think you’re pretty great.” Leopardpaw said before she looked down in embarrassment, “… And I was hoping to see you… I like talking to you.” 

“I like talking to you too. I can’t talk to anyone else in my clan about stuff like this.” Wolfpaw said, touching her nose to Leopardpaw’s shoulder.

The two just sat there in silence for a moment, taking in each other’s scent and appearance. Wolfpaw enjoyed the maple-like scent Leopardpaw gave off as well as the way her spots appeared much darker in the moonlight. Leopardpaw enjoyed the grassy, misty-like scent Wolfpaw had and how her blue eyes shimmered in the night. 

“Hey… Why don’t we do this every full moon?” Leopardpaw suggested, “When we’re not at the Gatherings. We can meet at this rock every time.” 

Wolfpaw looked over at the large rock that was practical split between the two clans. She didn’t take that much time to think about it. She wanted to see Leopardpaw again and again for how many moons they had. She nodded in agreement.

“Alright.” She said in reply, “Til next full moon.” 

Leopardpaw smiled and nodded, pressing her muzzle against Wolfpaw’s before she ran back off to the forest to her camp.

Wolfpaw watched Leopardpaw go back to her clan before she started off towards her own camp. 

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Wolfpaw froze and hissed in surprise over the sudden voice. She whipped her head around to glare at Sandpaw, who had risen from his nest.

“For Starcan’s sake. I went for a walk mouse-brain. Calm down.” She said as her fur flattened back to her body. 

She curled back up into her nest and glared at him when Sandpaw wouldn’t stop looking at her. 

“You were with that Thunderclan apprentice. Weren’t you?” He hissed, “You better prove your worth to Windclan.”

“I can’t have friends in other clans?” Wolfpaw growled back, just wanting to go to sleep.

“Not with what I have plan.” Sandpaw said before he started to ramble, causing the she-cat to fall asleep.

Wolfpaw grumbled when the sun peaked in through the dirt tunnel of the apprentices’ den. She blinked the sleep from her eyes as she heard Owlstar call from outside for a clan meeting. She slipped outside of the den, satisfied by the popping of her joints. 

It was the warrior ceremony for Skypaw and Fawnpaw, who were granted the name of Skyfall and Fawnbush. 

Wolfpaw was somewhat envious of the two. She had started her training only four moons after them and they were already getting their warrior names. She started to think about her own warrior ceremony and what her name would be. Her mind started to travel across the border into Thunderclan, to Leopardpaw and what her warrior name will be. 

“With this still being a clan meeting…” Owlstar continued, which snapped Wolfpaw out of her thoughts, “I’m putting more border patrols up around clan perimeters. Ask first and attack at a last resort.”

Wolfpaw blinked at the sudden order. She wondered if anyone else smelt Leopardpaw’s scent near the border. Had Sandpaw said something about her sneaking out? Her chest tightened with anxiety at the thoughts plaguing her mind. She looked at Sandpaw and how his lips curled upward in a smirk. 

“Wolfpaw!” 

The silver apprentice froze at her name being called. 

“Owlstar requested us in the first patrol of the day.” Stonefrost called.

Wolfpaw relaxed and padded up to her mentor, only to glare in disgust when Sandpaw and Doerunner joined up with them too. She recognized a few newer warriors as well like Darkstrike and Duskbreeze who had became warriors shortly before she became an apprentice. However, she noticed how close they were to Sandpaw as they walked. She recalled the memories of the night before as the patrol walked along the border of Windclan and Thunderclan. Her ears perked when she heard rustling in the forest.

“Windclan! What are you doing so close to the border?”   
Wolfpaw froze when a ginger tabby tom burst through the trees. 

“We could be asking you the same thing?” Sandpaw hissed back, his claws itching for a fight. 

“We’re on border patrol and you’re a little too close, Stonefrost.” A golden tabby said as more Thunderclan cats appeared.

“We’re on patrol as well, Eveningblaze.” Stonefrost managed to get out before Darkstrike and Duskbreeze switched into threatening positions. 

Wolfpaw dug her claws into the soil as scent of anger and aggression started to fill the air. She could tell a fight would break out at this point. 

“I think we should both continue with our patrols.” Wolfpaw said, finally speaking up, “We don’t want any bloodshed over a mouse-brained misunderstanding.” 

Both Clan patrols froze and stared at her. Eveningblaze and Stonefrost looked over at each other and nodded in agreement. 

“Come on. Let’s continue.” Eveningblaze said, turning tail and disappearing into the forest as Stonefrost placed a tail on his apprentice’s shoulder.

Foxpaw grumbled to himself as he followed after his new mentor. Fernfoot had sprang her leg during a hunting patrol and was stuck in the medicine cat’s den until she was healed. 

"We still should've done something." Foxpaw said, catching up with Eveningblaze. 

"We didn't cause any bloodshed." The golden tabby tom explained, "And besides... Windclan has been our ally for a long time." 

Foxpaw thought about it for a second. He knew Windclan was the weakness of all the clans but still remained strong enough to hold its own. What he became leader one day and took over Windclan, making Thunderclan even stronger? Then Shadowclan wouldn't be threatening them anymore. 

It wasn't long before the patrol found their way back into camp. Leopardpaw appeared from the elder's den after giving Goldenglow a nice, juicy vole. She hung around the fresh-kill pile as Foxpaw started retelling the recent encounter with Windclan to the kits. 

Leopardpaw's ears perked up with interest when Sandpaw was mentioned. She wondered if Wolfpaw was there as well after hearing Stonefrost's name in the tale. 

"And then there was this mouse-brain, know-it-all she-cat... Wolfpaw. She stopped the fight because she didn't have the strength to prove herself." Foxpaw added, causing Leopardpaw to step up for her companion. 

"She's not that." She hissed in defense as she faced Foxpaw, "If there's a mouse-brain here it's you for wanting to fight." 

"Maybe she's half-clan. Like you." Foxpaw hissed in reply. 

"I'm not a half-clan. But I know she wouldn't do that. She could probably tear your hide if she wanted to." Leopardpaw continued, "She's strong, kind, and soft-hearted. She's a real warrior."

"Remember where you're born, Leopardpaw. You're Thunderclan, not Windclan. You're both mouse-brain she-cats as well." Foxpaw hissed lowly in her ear before trotting away.

Leopardpaw puffed out her chest, watching Foxpaw leave. She was determined to prove him wrong. I’ll be a warrior in a few moons. Then he’ll see what I’m made of. She thought.

Clan life went on as usually and Leopardpaw watched her brother grow into a very playful and curious kit. She continued to meet up with Wolfpaw every full moon but never really thought anything of it. She enjoyed talking with her and how they connected so well.

“Hey Leopardpaw… do you like Foxheart?” Robinkit asked, using the new warrior’s name.

Leopardpaw scrunched up her nose in disgust at the thought of her and Foxheart.

“You must be mouse-brained if you think me and Foxheart will be a thing.” She said, “I don’t like him. He’s very annoying and aggressive towards other Clan cats.”

“When will you be getting your warrior name?” Robinkit asked, changing the subject so that his sister wouldn’t be too upset.

“Almost a moon from now. Towards the beginning of leaf-bare.” Leopardpaw said as cold breeze started to pick up, indicting the arrival of the dreaded season coming upon the clans. 

She looked over at the fresh-kill pile, which was currently getting stock for the coming moons. She wondered how Windclan was with hunting in the moors. It must be difficult for them with the lack of prey there already was in Windclan. I hope Wolfpaw’s alright…  
“Hey Leopardpaw! Spottedstar said you can come the Gathering tonight.” Eveningblaze called out.

Leopardpaw was excited for a brief second before she remembered her promise to Wolfpaw. She just hopped she was going as well. 

*******

Wolfpaw curled her tail around herself. It was times like this that she wished she had a thicker coat as the cold air ripped through the moors like claws. She looked around the camp, most of the cats were thinner than before due to the lack of prey. It was already bad enough that some cats were already huddled in Stumpywind’s den with whitecough. She could hear the coughing and wheezing as she past the medicine cat’s den as Stumpywind’s apprentice, Hareflower was trying to help with what little herbs they had in stock.

The silver she-cat swiftly snuck passed the den and darted out into the moor. She was glad that Sandpaw had left with the Gathering cats so no one would bother her when she returned. She kept her ears perked as she walked to their spot. It wasn’t until she smelt Leopardpaw’s scent with other Thunderclan cats that she realized where she was going. Wolfpaw’s ears and tail drooped, disappointed over that. She prayed to Starclan that Sandpaw didn’t say anything to Leopardpaw.

The silver she-cat sat at their spot and thought for a long moment. Why was she upset that Leopardpaw wasn’t with her? She knew they were from different clans but at the same time… She enjoyed her company just like she was a fellow Windclan cat. She enjoyed the times they had shared tongues and laid with each other. Wolfpaw’s ears perked up, snapping from her thoughts when the thickets started to rustle. 

She darted forward when the scent of prey hit her nose, wanting to catch some prey for her clan. She sped off and caught the rabbit with ease before it dove into its hole, deciding to go back to camp with it. 

Maybe I should just go out and hunt during the night? Try and see if I can catch anymore prey. She thought to herself, placing the prey onto the small fresh-kill pile. 

She continued to go out and managed to find a few more voles and mice that were trying to get ready for the leaf-bare to come. Her ears perked up when she heard her clan and Thunderclan returning from the Gathering. She started to head back to camp, hoping her scent didn’t linger before... 

“Wolfpaw!” 

The silver she-cat froze when the sharp tone of the Windclan’s deputy called out her name.


	5. Struggles of Leaf-Bare

“What are you doing out of camp?” Owlstar asked, wanting a quick answer with the way her tail twitched.

“I was out catching prey on the moors.” Wolfpaw said, speaking honestly as she revealed the mouse and vole she had caught recently.

“Why would you do something as mouse-brained as that?” Sandpaw asked.

“Do you want our clan to starve?” Wolfpaw retorted as she glared back at Sandpaw, before she continued her explanation, “I just thought that if I hunted at night more prey would be out. I managed to catch two hares, a mouse, and a vole. I’m sorry Owlstar.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Wolfpaw. It was clever of you.” Owlstar said, “However… I trust you didn’t cross any borders.”

Wolfpaw shook her head in response. “No. I didn’t. Everything I caught I caught on the moors.” She said.

The silver she-cat walked back to camp with her fellow clanmates before Sandpaw stood in front of her. 

“You’ll make our clan strong.” He said, flicking his tail under her chin, causing Wolfpaw to snort in disgust, “Maybe you’ll get your warrior name by catching prey at night.”

Wolfpaw snarled at him and flicked her tail in his face as she shoved past him. She walked back into camp and decided to get some sleep after a long night of hunting, drifting into thoughts of Leopardpaw as she slept.

******  
Leopardpaw gulped as she slipped into the apprentice’s den. She didn’t like what Riverclan said at the Gathering and how Shadowclan didn’t show up at all. Her mind drifted to Wolfpaw, wondering how her night went without her and if she was safe. She started to slowly drift off to sleep as the Windclan apprentice consumed her thoughts. 

She was startled when she was woken up with the sound of yowling cats. She jolted up and raced outside to a bloody sight. A large Shadowclan patrol had invaded their camp. She unshed her claws when she saw two warriors ganging up on Goldenglow. She dove into the fight without a second thought, sinking her claws into a mottled brown tom’s back, tearing him off Goldenglow. 

She landed on the ground with a hard thud, dazed for a second before her shoulder started to sting. She let out a yowl and clawed at the tom, her fur standing on edge. She bared her fangs and bit into his shoulder, griping onto his back with her claws as he tried to shake her off. 

“Retreat!” 

Leopardpaw released the tom and hissed as he fled. She looked around the camp at the bloody mess they left. The warriors were tending to their wounds, Foxheart pawing and grooming his torn ear and bloody pelt. A few cats remained unmoving or too weak from their wounds to stand. She saw Raventail limping over with his shoulder clotted with blood and his ear torn off. 

“Are you alright?” He asked, looking the apprentice over.

Leopardpaw nodded and looked over at her grandmother. Goldenglow was laying on her side with her shoulder and underbelly bleeding. She blinked and rushed to her, nudging her shoulder.

“Goldenglow! Goldenglow wake up!” She yowled, choking on her hidden fear and dread. 

“I’ll have Snowwing and Ashgaze look over her.” Raventail said, looking around the clearing as the two medicine cats rushed around with cobwebs and comfrey roots.

It was then that Leopardpaw spotted Spottedstar lying motionless, his underbelly bleeding heavily. She watched as the Thunderclan leader took in a sharp breath. 

He must’ve lost a life… She thought to herself before a pale brown pelt flashed in front of her.

“Raventail!” Willowwhisper said as she darted across the clearing to the dark grey-black tabby tom.

Leopardpaw watched the two with curiosity before she saw a dark brown pelt on the ground in the mist of all the chaos. She ran over and froze when she saw Oakstreak slumped on the ground with his throat slowly pouring the life out of him. Her eyes pricked with tears as she saw her mentor choking on his own blood. 

“Hey L-Leopardpaw… You f-fought well…” He whispered, looking up at his apprentice, “I-I’m sorry... I won’t be there to hear your w-warrior name…” 

“I’ll go get Snowwing.” She said, trying not to choke up. 

Oakstreak reached his paw over to touch Leopardpaw’s and looked at her before she could run off. 

“N-No… I’ll be sharing tongues with S-Starclan soon…” Oakstreak whispered as his chest started to slow down before stopping all together. 

Leopardpaw’s eyes widened as she crouched down and cried over her mentor’s body, eventually blacking out from the grief and blood loss from her wounds.

The scent of herbs filled her nose when she finally came to. She was in the medicine cat’s den with her shoulder bound up with fresh cobwebs that has stopped the bleeding. She looked around, seeing Raventail and Willowwhisper hovering over her and Goldenglow.

“How’s Goldenglow?” She croaked, lifting her head up.

“She’ll be fine.” Willowwhisper answered, looking over her mother.

“Raventail… Why are you in here?” Leopardpaw asked.

Raventail looked at her and let out a warm purr. 

“I wanted to make sure you were alright… Especially after Oakstreak… I also wanted to tell you that you will be getting your warrior name and something else.” Raventail said, crouching down, “I’m your father. Queens have a right to not reveal the father of their kits but… I wanted to tell you myself.” 

“Robinkit too?” Leopardpaw asked, her eyes going wide.

Raventail nodded. “Yes. Robinkit as well. I’m very proud of you especially when it came to Foxheart.” 

Leopardpaw let out a small purr as she touched noses with Raventail. She was glad to finally know who her father was. She looked at Snowwing, who was checking on her shoulder.

“Am I okay to leave now?” She asked.

The white tom nodded. “Yes you can. Just let me remove these cobwebs and check it one last time.” 

Leopardpaw could hardly contain herself as Raventail stepped out of the den to go talk with Spottedstar. The cobwebs were removed from her shoulder before she stood up, wobbling a bit on her sore limb.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting." Spottedstar yowled from his spot as Leopardpaw wobbled over and sat down in front of the Highledge. 

“I, Spottedstar, leader of Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.” Spottedstar started before looking down at the apprentice, “Leopardpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

“I do.” Leopardpaw answered in reply as her chest puffed out with pride. 

Spottedstar leaped down from the Highledge and rested his muzzle on her head. 

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Leopardpaw, from this moment you will be known as Leopardblaze. StarClan honors your bravery and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan.”

Leopardblaze licked Spottedstar’s shoulder as the rest of the clan chanted her warrior name. Robinkit bounded over to his sister and chanted her name. 

She looked over her clan and purred before she spotted Foxheart glaring at her with his tail lashing about. 

*******

“Wolfpaw… Sandpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?” Owlstar asked as her tail lashed about.

“I do.” They both said.

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Wolfpaw, from this moment you will be known as Wolfstride. Sandpaw, from this moment you will be known as Sandstripe. StarClan honors your courage and skill, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Windclan.”

Wolfstride was proud to finally be a full warrior to her clan as they chanted their names. Her mind started to go to Thunderclan, wondering if Leopardpaw had received her warrior name yet. 

She froze when Sandstripe gaze dug into her like claws. She hated the way he was looking at her once the clan meeting was over. She walked outside the camp, wanting to go hunting on her own before Sandstripe followed after her. 

“What are you doing?” She hissed at him, demanding an answer.

“Admitted it... You like that Thunderclan she-cat.” Sandstripe replied with his fur on end.

“And so? What’s it to you if I do?” Wolfstride growled back before she stormed off, not wanting to explain herself to the annoying tom. 

She managed to catch a rabbit to clear her head. She brought it back to camp and placed it in front of Swiftkit, who was playing outside the nursery with their mother struggling with whitecough in Stumpywind’s den.

“Wolfstride… When will I become an apprentice?” Swiftkit asked.

“Not long… a half moon at the most.” She answered, “The same thing goes for Graykit and Dustkit.” 

“I can’t wait!” Swiftkit mewed excitedly as she bounced in place, “Are you going to be my mentor?”

“That’s for Owlstar to decide.” She answered.

“Where’s Stumpywind?!” Redvine yowled as he bolted into camp, his shoulder bleeding.

Wolfstride nudged Swiftkit into the nursery and dashed over to the senior warrior as Hareflower peered out the medicine cat’s den.

“What happened?” The pale brown she-cat asked, rushing over to tend to Redvine’s wound.

“There was a Riverclan patrol… They attacked us and…” Redvine looked down as Fernfoot, Skyfall, and Fawnbush carried a motionless Stonefrost into the center of camp.

Wolfstride froze when she saw the mangled mess that was her former mentor. She blinked when she felt a tail tip on her shoulder. 

“Windclan’s lost a great warrior.” 

She was surprised to hear that from Sandstripe. She remained silent, not wanting to bicker with him at the moment due to the loss of her mentor. 

Moonhigh came upon the clan and while the cats slept Sandstripe and Wolfstride stood outside the entrance, keeping a silent vigil. The silver she-cat kept her ears perked and alert despite her heart aching over her mentor. She dug her unsheathed claws into the earth, wondering why a Riverclan patrol would do that? She wanted answers and she wanted them now.


	6. Asking for Help

“Robinkit… Honeykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Robinpaw and Honeypaw. Your mentor will be Leopardblaze and Marigoldfluff. I hope they will pass down all they know on to you.” Spottedstar called from the Highledge, “Leopardblaze, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Oakstreak, and you have shown yourself to be brave and determined. You will be the mentor of Robinpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him.” 

Leopardblaze walked over and touched noses with her brother before Marigoldfluff stepped forward as well.

“Marigoldlfuff, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You had received excellent training from Cinderskip, and you have shown yourself to be courageous and loyal. You will be the mentor of Honeypaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her.” Spottedstar continued before the fluffy golden tabby she-cat touched noses with her new apprentice. 

Robinpaw bounced up to Willowwhisper and Raventail with Leopardblaze following close behind.

“I’m so glad I got Leopardblaze as a mentor.” He said, purring with excitement. 

“Why don’t we go on border patrol and get you familiar with the other territories.” Leopardblaze suggested, looking at Raventail as he let out a murrow of amusement. 

“I don’t see why not. I’ll talk to Spottedstar.” Raventail said before he padded off into the leader’s den.

Leopardblaze watched him and smiled to herself. She was glad to have finally know who her father was and that he was such a nice tom. However, she was still baffled over the fact that it took him so long to tell her.

“We can go.” Raventail said when he returned, “We’ll be taking Featherback and Dawnrock too.” 

Leopardblaze nodded as they waited for the two mottled grey she-cats to catch up with them.

“Robinpaw don’t run off. You’ll get into trouble if you do.” Leopardblaze called to her apprentice once they were finally out of camp. The forest was now blanketed with a thick layer of snow.

“Speaking from experience, hm?” Raventail said, purring in amusement as he remembered when Leopardblaze ran after a squirrel in her apprentice days.

Leopardblaze flicked her tail a bit in a teasing manner before she found herself at the familiar Windclan border. Robinpaw dropped into a crouch before a solid pale brown tom appeared from the thicket, hissing. 

“Dustpaw!” 

Leopardblaze’s ears perked at the familiar voice and scent that crossed her path. She froze when her emerald green eyes met the familiar blue eyes of the silver she-cat. Something was different about her, even though she hadn’t seen her in two moons. She sounded a bit colder. Something must have happened… Leopardblaze thought.

“Don’t run off like that again.” The silver she-cat scolded her apprentice as four other cats joined her.

Leopardblaze recognized the annoying pale tabby tom and Darkstrike from the Gathering. Those must be their apprentices. She thought to herself.

“I’m sorry Wolfstride…” Dustpaw said, looking down.

“You can’t trust any cat. Remember that, Graypaw.” 

“Stop it Sandstripe! We’re not here to fight! You should know this.” Wolfstride warned the pale tabby before looking back at the Thunderclan patrol.

“We’re sorry.” Wolfstride said, “We’ll be on our way. We don’t mean any trouble.” 

“It’s alright. Apprentices like to cause trouble on their first day out.” Leopardblaze spoke, her heart fluttering when she met Wolfstride’s gaze.

Wolfstride let out a small purr of amusement and nodded.

“It’s something that can’t be helped.” Wolfstride replied.

Leopardblaze opened her mouth to speak again before Sandstripe placed his tail across Wolfstride’s flank, glaring at her. 

“I hope Windclan’s doing well this leaf-bare.” Raventail chimed in, waving his tail.

The Windclan cat’s paused. Leopardblaze could see the small hint of grief in Wolfstride’s eyes. 

“I think it’s best we continue with patrol.” Darkstrike said, “Come on Swiftpaw.”

Wolfstride watched at Darkstrike and Sandstripe left with their apprentices before turning back to the Thunderclan cats.

“I apologize for their behavior.” She said, “They think they need to prove their loyalty every time patrols cross.”

Leopardblaze wanted to speak with Wolfstride more but she had disappeared before she could say anything.

“Let’s continue.” Leopardblaze said, turning around to continue the patrol. She couldn’t seem to get Wolfstride out of her head until the full moon started to appear in the sky. As soon as the cats going to the Gathering left, Leopardblaze was off to the Windclan border. She could see a small silver streak growing closer and closer until she slipped on an icy patch and barreled into the she-cat.

She purred, rubbed her muzzle against her shoulder.

“Wolfstride…” She whispered, looking at her before she noticed the grief reflecting in her eyes, “Wolfstride what happened?”

“Greencough…” Wolfstride replied, “It took my mother yesterday… Stonefrost died as well… He was killed by a Riverclan patrol.”

Leopardblaze blinked and rested her head on Wolfstride’s flank, licking her ear.

“My mentor died too…. Shadowclan raided Thunderclan camp.” She explained.

Wolfstride curled her tail around Leopardblaze’s and looked at her. She purred, nuzzling into her scent.

“I missed seeing you.” She whispered.

“You didn’t act like it… and what’s with that mouse-brain Sandstripe?” Leopardblaze asked. 

Wolfstride sighed and rubbed against Leopardblaze. “Just ignore him… He thinks Windclan needs to be stronger to survive. He wants to be leader and frankly… I’ll be terrified if he ever did.” 

“You should be leader.” The Thunderclan she-cat said, “I think you’d be a great leader. Wolfstar of Windclan has a nice ring to it.” 

“What about you?” Wolfstride whispered, purring as she started to groom Leopardblaze’s scarred shoulder, “I think you’d be a great leader too.”

“Me? Do you have bees in your brain?” Leopardblaze asked, causing Wolfstride to purr in amusement.

“What? We could be leaders together. Wouldn’t that be nice?” Wolfstride pointed out, “Our clans wouldn’t be fighting and Sandstripe would finally shut up.”

“You’re not wrong there…” Leopardblaze replied, thinking about it, “We’ll be leaders together. Oh! I have exciting news. I met my father. It’s Raventail.”

Wolfstride’s ears perked up as she licked Leopardblaze’s muzzle in response.

“I’m glad you finally found him.” The silver she-cat whispered as she looked over at Silver Pelt, seeing that it was moonhigh, “We better be getting back to our clan.”

Wolfstride tried to get up but couldn’t when Leopardblaze shifted her weight onto her back.

“No… Not yet. I don’t want this to end just yet.” Leopardblaze whispered as she buried her face in Wolfstride’s flank.

Wolfstride ended up slipping into a small slumber to Leopardblaze’s purring. She woke up with a small jolt, knocking Leopardblaze off her feet. 

“Ow…” Leopardblaze hissed as she looked around, “Mouse-dung! I have to go.” 

Wolfstride gave Leopardblaze a final lick good bye before they both darted back to their clans. The silver she-cat raced back into camp, making sure to have a small vole in her jaws for the clan. 

She looked at the small fresh-kill pile as her own hunger gripped her like claws. This was a harsh leaf-bare for Windclan and no doubt the other clans knew it. She could hear coughing from the medicine cat’s den as she slipped into the apprentice’s den. 

“Hey Dustpaw… Graypaw… Swiftpaw…” She whispered, watching as the three slowly woke up from their dreams, “We’re going on a hunting patrol.” 

“You can’t just announce a hunting patrol.” Darkstrike hissed, appearing behind her.

“The clan will starve at this point! Badgerflank would want us to find as much fresh-kill as we can with Owlstar being sick.” Wolfstride growled back.

“She’s right.” Sandstripe said, “Come on you three.” 

Wolfstride glared at the pale tabby tom as she followed after him with her apprentice close by. She shook her head when she saw the familiar forest of Thunderclan. 

“We shouldn’t steal from other clans.” Wolfstride said.

“Who died and made you leader?” Darkstrike growled, “You said it yourself… Windclan’s starving and desperate times call for desperate measures.” 

“I wanna go into Thunderclan territory… I wanna see what a squirrel tastes like.” Graypaw chimed in.

“You can go. I’m taking Dustpaw to see if we can’t find any mice or voles on the moors.” Wolfstride said, guiding the pale brown tom with her tail.

Wolfstride scented the area around them. “Do you smell any prey?” She asked her apprentice.

Dustpaw nodded and dropped into a hunting crouch. He kept himself low and downwind from the mouse he had spotted before pouncing. He raised his tail up in triumph when the mouse dangled lifeless in his jaws. 

“That was very good Dustpaw.” Wolfstride said, “You’ll be a warrior in no time.” 

“I wanna learn how to fight!” Dustpaw said, digging his claws into the snow.

“And you will but right now hunting is the most important thing. We need to make sure the clan is fed.” She said, curling her tail around her paw. 

“Well said…” Sandstripe’s voice caused Wolfstride to whip her head around. She fell back into the snow and glared at him.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that Sandstripe!” She hissed, looking at the plump sparrow and squirrel Graypaw and Swiftpaw had in their mouths.

“There was so much prey in Thunderclan Wolfstride… You should’ve come with us.” Graypaw said through a mouth full of feathers.

“I’ll talk to Badgerflank… See if we can send a patrol to go talk to Thunderclan about our situation.” Wolfstride said. 

Sandstripe and Darkstrike’s lashed about at that. 

“What? Our clan will be stronger once leaf-bare ends.” Wolfstride said, “Sandstripe we can’t survive on our own right now. Our clan will die at this point.” 

Sandstripe glared at her with his emerald green eyes before he smirked, swiping his tail underneath her chin.

“You are correct but don’t worry your pretty little head about that. Once I’m leader we’ll have Thunderclan’s territory.” He said, “We’ll be stronger than we ever have been. We won’t need anyone’s help.”

“Not if I’m leader first.” Wolfstride said before she turned to head back to camp with the apprentices. 

She looked around camp upon their return, which looked to be barren with all the other healthy cats on patrols. She whipped her head around when heard Badgerflank step into camp.

“Badgerflank… Can I talk to you in private?” Wolfstride asked.

The mottled black and white deputy nodded. “Of course.” He said as she followed him into the leader’s den.

“I was wondering if we could send a small patrol to talk to Thunderclan about our lack of prey. Maybe they could help with the greencough as well.” Wolfstride suggested, “Five cats at the most so we don’t pose that much of a threat with border wars going on.”

Badgerflank flicked his tail in thought before he left out a warm purr. “I think that’s a great idea.” He spoke, “You sound like your father… He would’ve wanted what was best for the clan. He wasn’t afraid to ask for help either… You choose the cats who go with you.”

Wolfstride nodded and slipped out of the leader’s den, looking around as the healthy cats were coming from their duties.

“Doerunner, Dustpaw, Emberdusk… We’re going to Thunderclan.” She said, waiting for the three cats at the camp entrance.

“Why are we going there?” Emberdusk asked, shaking his blackish brown coat free of snow.  
“I’ll explain on the way.” Wolfstride said as her apprentice followed in step with her.


End file.
